1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electric iron, and more particularly, to an electric iron having a boiler-type steam generator.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention
Electric irons are commonly used in people's daily lives. The easiest method to prevent damage to clothing and to iron clothing wrinkle free is to sprinkle water onto clothing prior to ironing. However, this method is inconvenient as water cannot be sprinkled uniformly onto the clothing by hand. One improvement to this method is the incorporation of water tanks and water spraying systems into electric irons for directly sprinkling water when ironing, which allows for an easy operation and uniform distribution of water onto clothing.
Along with the improvement of people's lives and desire for better quality, the request for better electric irons was advanced, and steam-spraying electric iron was designed. For example, the Chinese Pat. No. 98102941.8 discloses a “spraying steam electric iron”, comprising: a water tank which is used for storning water, a steam chamber which is used for vaporizing the water form the water tank into steam, a base which is used for forming the steam chamber, a heating unit which is used for heating the base, a base cover which is used for covering the base, a first tube which is used for guiding water from water tank into the steam chamber, a mixing chamber, water positioned in the water tank is influenced by steam produced from steam chamber and forms corpuscule, the water positioned in the water tank is guided into the second tube of the mixing chamber, the steam positioned in the steam chamber is guided into the steam tube of the mixing chamber, with the influence of steam for sprinkling water from nozzle.
Said water spray sprinkled from said electric iron is a mixture of water and vapor, containing less vapor, and the sprinkling pressure is not enough, said electric iron has a good effect for clothing which is put flat-wise, but not for clothing which is hung. There are other structures of steam electric irons in the market, but most have the same drawbacks.
For obtaining enough steam in the industry, commonly, connecting a boiler-type steam station with electric iron for providing steam which has enough pressure, the principle of producing steam is same as the boiler used in the industry, since the volume is big, inconveniently using, so it is unpopular in the daily life.
Designer integrates boiler-type steam generator with electric iron, requiring the volume must be little enough, so the volume of the switch valve must also be little enough, and meeting the safety criterion. The electromagnetic valve accords with the safety criterion, but its volume can not achieve the minimum limit. So far, we do not find mechanical valve used in the boiler-type steam generator of electric iron.
On the other hand, the boiler-type steam generator and ironing plate adopt a same heating system, their temperature can not be changed separately, for obtaining the steam which has high temperature and high pressure, the boiler-type steam generator need high temperature, however, if the temperature of ironing plate is much higher, the clothing may be damaged, so the boiler-type steam generator and ironing plate can not use the same heating system.